The Fire Prince
by ThunderSmoke
Summary: Young Zuko struggles to become the firebender his father demands, and learns more about himself in the process. His life up to meeting the Avatar.
1. Chapter 1

The warm air meandered its way slowly from up from the coast and into the beach house. It was a pleasant day, as they always were when they were visiting Ember Island. Three-year old Zuko played in the sand on the beach, his parents Fire Prince Ozai and his wife Ursa sitting contentedly under an umbrella. Ursa held their newly-born child, Azula in her arms, looking deeply into her eyes. Azula stared straight back with a bewildered face, and then giggled from the attention.

"Isn't she beautiful," said Ursa, lifting her up to see her father.

"Absolutely gorgeous," replied Ozai. "She takes after her mother. She has your eyes, too. They sparkle like sunlight."

Zuko, occupied with his own adventures, noticed a turtle-crab scuttling along the beach. A hawk was pecking relentlessly at its shell. He ran over to the hawk, sending it squawking away where it perched on a rock. It watched Zuko, but kept a watchful eye on the turtle-crab.

"It's okay, little turtle-crab," said Zuko. "I'll keep you safe." He held the turtle-crab in his arms, then glanced over to the hawk who sat patiently perched on its rock. It looked hungry. Its eyes were sad. It was probably about to starve. Zuko then realized that by saving the turtle-crab, he was also killing the hawk. He looked back down at the turtle-crab, considering giving it back to the hawk but couldn't come to a decision. Meanwhile, the tide was inching closer with every passing wave until suddenly, he found himself lifted up by it and dragged out into the sea. Struggling to keep his head above the surface, he lost his bearings and found himself submerged under the rough waves of the open water.

"Zuko!" cried Ozai. He stumbled to his feet, kicking up sand, and jumped into the water. Zuko splashed violently in the water. Ozai swam as fast as he could out to his only son, grabbing him and swimming back to the shore. Ursa laid Azula on the towel and ran out to them, taking Zuko in her arms.

"It's okay, Zuko. You're alright"

He vomited the warm, salty water for several hours afterwards. Ursa took care of him for the rest of the day, leaving Ozai to tend to Azula. It was that day when he realized what kind of person his son would become. He would not be a leader. Leaders needed to be able to be strong, to make tough decisions. Zuko was only three, but that was the day Ozai started having doubts. Throughout his early childhood, Zuko never showed signs of being an excellent firebender like himself, and his father Azulon, the current Fire Lord. But Azula, she was a firebending prodigy. She had the spark in her eyes, the mark of a true firebender. But she could not be Fire Lord.

It was many years later, now. Many happy summers passed as they visited Ember Island, but now they were back in the palace. Ozai sat in his study, frustrated that his son had yet to demonstrate any real ability to firebend. His power was mediocre, at best. All previous Fire Lords had also learned firebending from an early age, some much earlier than the age Zuko was currently at. They were running out of time. Ursa walked in.

"What is the matter," she asked.

Ozai sighed. "He shows no sign of the spark in his eyes," said Ozai, flatly. Ursa frowned.

"That doesn't mean anything," she replied. She knew he was talking about Zuko. "I'm sure he will be an excellent firebender-"

"And what if he is not? What does that say about our family? The _royal_ family? He is my _first-born_ son. If he cannot master firebending, then I do not know what to do."

Ozai put his fingers between his eyes and let out a sharp gust of air from his nostrils.

"If he is not a master firebender, then there is nothing that must be done," said Ursa. "He is your son, and you should love him for who he is."

"Whether or not he is a master firebender determines who he is. If he is not, then he is not fit for the royal family."

"Why does he have to be a firebender to gain your respect? He has the makings of an excellent swordsman, you know that."

"You and I both know that all previous Fire Lords have been master firebenders. If he is to be the future Fire Lord-"

"His cousin, Lu Ten is next in line to be Fire Lord. Iroh is Azulon's first-born."

"Yes, but that does not necessarily mean-"

"Give him a chance, Ozai! For goodness sake, he is your _son!_" She stopped and thought for a few moments. "Have him train with Piandao, the master swordsman. He will teach Zuko the art of swordsmanship. He'll excel in that, I know it."

"...alright. We'll send him to study with Piandao for a few months."

Zuko and Azula played outside in the garden. He was nearly eleven, and Azula was nine. Zuko was happy to have a younger sister to care for. It made him feel important, like he meant something. His sister was learning firebending at an alarming rate, and his father adored her.

"Zu-zu, come on! You're not even trying!"

Zuko snapped back to attention, dodging a small fireball his sister sent flying right past his head, perhaps a little too close. He swung the stick in his right hand at her as she recovered from the momentum of her firepunch, hitting her in the side of her stomach.

"Ouch!"

Zuko stopped at once, dropping the stick to the ground. "Sorry, are you okay?"

"I think so," said Azula. Zuko put his arm on her shoulder. Suddenly she snapped back, grabbing his arm and sending him plummeting towards the ground. He landed flat on his back with a forceful grunt of air escaping from his lungs. Azula laughed.

"Ha, I can't believe you fell for that one!"

Zuko got up slowly. "That's not fair," he said. "You didn't beat me in a fair fight."

"No fight is ever fair," said Azula, tauntingly. "You have to use every opportunity to win, at all costs. That's why I _always _win."

"You always win because you _cheat._"

"But I do always win"

Zuko hated that. She always won, even in arguments, using fake and flimsy logic to bend the rules her way. "Ugh...fine. You win." He bowed before her. "_Congratulations_."

Ursa walked out into the garden. "Kids, your father wants to speak with you!"

"We're coming!" said Zuko. He liked his mother. She always knew what to say to him whenever he needed help. Sometimes it even seemed liked she was the only sane one in the family besides himself. They ran off towards the door, but on the way, Azula decided she would burn one of the flowers. Zuko wondered why she would want to do such a thing. Why destroy something beautiful, for no apparent reason?

"Mom!' exclaimed Zuko. "Azula is burning one of the flowers!"

"Azula! You will treat the royal gardens with respect, now come here already. You mustn't keep your father waiting."

Azula whispered to Zuko. "Tattletale..."

She manifested a tiny flame from her hands and flicked it onto Zuko's backside. He jumped up a little bit and gave her a dirty look. She just smiled back, grinning from ear to ear. There wasn't anything he could do to retaliate. If he did he would get in trouble too.

"That's enough, young lady. Go to your room and think about your actions!"

She sent Azula into the building and put her hand on Zuko's chin. "Are you okay, Zuko?"

"I just don't understand why she has to be so mean..."

Later, inside the walls of the palace, the family sat around the dinner table.

"Zuko, your father has some good news for you," said Ursa.

"Yes, we do," said Ozai.

"Is it about me beating Zu-zu once again?" asked Azula, sarcastically.

Ursa gave her a stern look. "No, and don't interrupt your father."

"It's fine, dear," said Ozai. "The real news is that we've decided to send you to train with Piandao, Zuko."

Zuko's eyes lit up. "The master swordsman?"

"I guess if you can hardly firebend, that's the next best thing," said Azula. Ursa glared at her once again and then ignored her comment.

"You'll live and train with Piandao for a few months," said Ursa. "He will teach you the way of the sword. He is the best swordsman in the history of the Fire Nation, as you know. He has never lost a single battle. He will teach you the art of swordsmanship."

Ozai added, "We expect you to take this seriously."

"I will," said Zuko. "I will make you proud."

"In the meantime, Azula," said Ozai, "you will train here, working on your firebending skills. You have shown much growth in the past few months, and you are ready to begin your mastery of the element."

Azula grinned, looking over to Zuko. She briefly stuck out her tongue.

"I'll make you more proud, daddy."

"I'd like to see that, my precious daughter."

They ate their dinner in relative silence. Zuko ate fast, excited about training with Piandao. He would finally have a chance to show his father that he was good at something. If he couldn't firebend like Azula, then he would become the best swordsman the world had ever known. Maybe then, he would bring honor to his father.

* * *

**Author's Note : **Updated this segment to work better grammatically, and added a few lines here and there. The next part should come out soon, and will focus on Zuko's training with Piandao. It's taking longer because I was using the comics/episodes for a lot of the dialogue and things that happened in this chapter. We don't have any information about Zuko's training with Piandao (we just know that he did), so I'm trying to work out the details on that part of the story from scratch. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

The boat was scheduled to leave early the following morning. It would be a few days by sea until he would arrive at Shu Jing, a small island on the tail end of the Fire Nation's archipelago. The journey would be slightly longer than it would take their family to reach Ember Island, except this time it would just be Zuko and a small handful of Fire Nation troops whose sole purpose would be to protect him during the journey. His father was too busy with other affairs, and his mother would stay with Ozai. Zuko didn't care so much about Azula being too busy to come. She wasn't the playful, fun-loving sister he used to reenact the final duel of _Love Amongst Dragons _with, the play his family had always watched at Ember Island. It had been several years since then. The memory brought only sadness to him, so he shut it out.

He stood before the warship that would be taking him to Shu Jing, saying his goodbyes to his mother and sister. The sun was going to rise in a few minutes, so the air was cold and damp. His father couldn't make time to send him off.

"Well, good luck at loser camp," said Azula. "Meanwhile, I'll be mastering firebending like true royalty."

Ursa snapped at her. "Azula! You won't be seeing your brother for a few months. Are those the last words you want to say to him?"

"Hmm, I suppose not." She paused for a moment. "Zu-Zu, I hope you don't completely and utterly fail to learn Piandao's teachings, because otherwise you'd have nothing to live for. Is that better, mother?"

Ursa sighed. "Only slightly, but yes..."

The front of the warship opened up to create a pathway for Zuko to walk on. Not being the best at goodbyes, he just started walking up the stairs.

"Zuko," said Ursa.

"Yes?"

"I have something for you." She took out a short, metal sword. "This is a traditional Fire Nation sword. You'll need it to prove your worth to Piandao."

Zuko studied the blade. It was a Dadao broadsword with a long, straight hilt and slightly curved blade.

"I just want you to know that, whatever you do, I'll always be proud of you."

The words penetrated his heart. He felt grateful that he had his mother. If he couldn't be good enough for his father, it was comforting to know that his mother would always be there for him.

"Thanks, mother," were the only words that managed to say in reply. He studied the sword for a few more moments and attached the hilt before turning around and continuing up the rest of the steps. The front of the warship rose slowly and closed with a loud, metallic thud. Two, tall men wearing the official Fire Nation soldier's uniform met him in the hull of the ship.

"Welcome, Prince Zuko. We've been instructed to keep you safe until we arrive at Shu Jing."

Zuko sighed in his mind. Had it been Azula going on this trip, there wouldn't have been any guards. If anything bad were to happen, Zuko was certain he could handle it. He ignored the guards and walked up the stairs onto the ship's deck. The shore was already a ways behind them, the ship steadily gliding through the morning waters. He stood at the front, watching the ship's hull cut through the waves. It was going to be a long while before he arrived at Shu Jing.

Zuko spent most of his time in his private quarters, practicing his swordsmanship. It felt exhilarating to be using a real sword. He imagined what kind of devastation he could cause with such a sharp blade, and then decided to rest for a while after the thought. He waited in anxious anticipation to finally arrive at Shu Jing and to meet Piandao. He had heard so many legends about him, one in particular about him defeating one hundred Fire Nation soldiers in battle. Of course, the legends were exaggerated. But all stories contain a grain of truth.

They arrived a few days later. The landscape of the island was breathtaking. The little town was laid out over a vast expanse of grassy hills and steep cliff sides, waterfalls cascaded down from the large canyon that the town was built beside. Very few trees populated the area, as the landscape was very rocky and uneven in many places. The wind blew fast up and over the steep, mountainous hills. He walked through the town on the way to the castle, which was situated at a higher elevation, overlooking the vast landscape. The two Fire Nation guards still followed him through the town and up to the gate. Some weird looks were had from the quiet, simple townspeople. The gate to Piandao's castle was gold and red, with two lion heads on both sides of the door. He knocked three times on one of them. A tall man opened the gate.

"Can I help you?" the man asked.

Zuko looked up at him. "I-I've come to train with the master. Master Piandao."

The man looked down at Zuko. "Master Piandao doesn't just train anybody who walks up to his doors," he replied, crossing his arms. "Have you got anything to prove your worth?"

"I have this," said Zuko, pulling the Dadao out from its hilt.

"Ahh, very nice. The single-edged Dadao. A very versatile weapon, but can you use it properly?"

"Of course I can," said Zuko. He was feeling cocky now.

"Alright then," replied the man. He grinned menacingly. "_Prove it_."

He escorted Zuko into the front courtyard and pulled out a Guan Dao, a large and heavy pole weapon with jagged, serrated blade.

"You want me to _fight_ you, right now?"

"Are you worthy of being taught by Master Piandao?"

It was now apparent he had no choice in the matter. He had to fight this man to prove his worth. An eleven year old child had to fight a fully grown man. A fully grown man with a giant sword. Zuko took the first attack, slashing his sword towards the left with his right hand. The man blocked it with the body of his weapon and immediately spun it clockwise. Being off-balance from his attack, Zuko stumbled from the counter-attack and fell to his knees.

"You're going to have to do better than that. Now get up and show me you're worth something!"

The man's words filled his mind with rage. He rose from his knees and slashed again, this time from the left, putting his legs in a more spread out stance. The man counter-attacked once again, but was unable to knock Zuko off-balance, leaving an opportunity window for Zuko to make a move. He rolled to the side of his opponent and thrust his sword towards his unguarded abdomen. He stopped his sword only an inch from his body.

"Good, good. So you can learn from your mistakes. That's a quality not everyone has, but a must for a true swordsman. You have my permission to meet with Piandao."

He felt really cocky now. "So if I can beat you, does that make me the new guard?"

The man let out a deep belly laugh. "I was going easy on you, kid. We'll see who's better after you've completed your training."

"What's your name?"

"Fat," the man responded.

"_Fat?"_

_"_Do you have a problem with my name?"

"No, there's no problem."

"That's what I thought."

Fat led Zuko through the castle to Piandao's main quarters. The castle was very luxurious and peaceful. Their footsteps echoed around every corner.

"Master, there is a child here who wishes to learn the art of swordsmanship."

"Thank you. Come in, child."

Zuko entered the room. Fat closed the door behind him. Piandao was facing away from him, in front of a large window overlooking the town in the valley below them.

"What is your name?"

"Zuko."

"The Fire Prince? Why are you here to learn the art of the sword, when the element of fire should be your main focus?"

They had hardly started introductions, and already Zuko felt like he was being interrogated against his insecurities. He replied hesitantly, "I'm not so great at firebending."

Piandao paused for a moment. "Ah, so instead you thought you'd have a try at swordsmanship. You know, you're not the first little boy to come in here wanting to learn. Your type is a silver piece a dozen. Some kid who wants to learn how to beat up his enemies."

Zuko was getting frustrated. "I'm not just some kid," he replied sharply. "I want to learn the art of the sword, no matter what it costs."

"It's not about cost," said Piandao calmly, "it's about determination. Do you know the one thing in common with all the boys, and some grown men too, who come here and get sent away by me? You guessed it – determination. They all last a couple of days, and then they give up. What makes you any different?"

"I won't give up."

"Is that true?"

"Yes." Now he was really getting angered.

"How can I know that you are willing to put in the effort to learn?"

"I will!"

"How do I know you won't give up?"

"Because _I don't know how_!" His voice boomed throughout the empty halls of the castle, echoing endlessly. He really didn't know how. All of his life, he had persevered through whatever was thrown at him. He had tried so hard to be an excellent firebender, for so long. He would do anything to be the son his father wanted. But that didn't change who he was. No matter how hard he tried, no amount of determination could change himself. Zuko breathed heavily, while Piandao still sat peacefully, staring out the window. A few moments passed.

"Then I'll either teach you how, or you'll learn the art of the sword. Come, I'll show you where you'll be staying."


	3. Chapter 3

Zuko awoke abruptly to the sound of slashing and clanging coming from outside of his room. Slowly, he rolled out of bed and meandered over to the window overlooking the courtyard. The sun had not even risen yet outside, and the castle grounds were bathed in twilight. Piandao and Fat were sparring loudly outside. Piandao looked up briefly to see Zuko in the window, then glanced back down and forced the blade of his sword against Fat's near the hilt, flicking his wrist sideways sending the sword flying into the air. Instantly, the tip of his sword was pressed lightly against Fat's chest. Piandao looked back up to Zuko.

"I'm glad to see you've awoken. Come down here, it is time for your first lesson."

Zuko grumbled. "Can I at least _eat_ something first?"

"Yes. But only if you are giving up. Are you?"

"No..." said Zuko. Silently he wondered what he had gotten himself into by deciding to learn from this man, and then made his way down to the courtyard. Fat left to go somewhere else in the castle, and Piandao met him as they went inside.

"Your first lesson is simple," said Piandao. He handed Zuko a brush and a bottle of black paint. Zuko looked down at them in confusion. He expected a sparring lesson.

"Am I...painting something?"

"At his heart, a master swordsman knows one thing to be true more than any other," said Piandao, ignoring the question. "You cannot take back a stroke of the sword. Every move you make is irreversible, and every mistake will cost you."

Zuko understood the analogy that Piandao was making now.

"Like the sword, the paint and brush is also permanent, and so you will begin your training with this brush."

"I have to fight you with this brush?" said Zuko, half confused and half amazed.

"No," said Piandao, handing him a scroll of blank paper. "Sign your name."

Apparently he hadn't understood the analogy. He laid out the scroll on the table and dipped the brush into the paint and began to sign his name. Easy enough.

Piandao abruptly stopped him. "Remember. The stroke of the brush is permanent. Make every move count. And remember that once you make a move, it can never be undone."

_Yes, I get it_, thought Zuko. _I can't undo anything that happens. It's all irreversible._ It reminded him of Azula for some reason. Every failure he ever made had been exploited and blown out of proportion a thousand times. She would never let him forget his mistakes. _Come on Zu-Zu, can't you do any better? Zu-Zu, why don't you just give up and let me win? Father thinks you're a failure, Zu-Zu._ He stopped thinking and began to sign his name on the paper.

Z U Z U

"..Zu-Zu?" said Piandao.

It took him a few moments to digest what happened. "I didn't mean...I-"

"That's a fine name, and excellently written. Well done, Zu-Zu."

The believability of his voice and face when saying that was incredible.

"My name is Zuko," he replied flatly.

"The parchment says otherwise, Zu-Zu."

"Well, it's not, and-"

Piandao elevated his voice slightly. "A master swordsman keeps his mind clear at all times. In a battle, having a cluttered mind is a recipe for failure. Think of this as your second lesson."

_Failure_, thought Zuko. The word only made him think of Father. What would he think now, if he was here? Already Zuko had embarrassingly failed the first task given to him.

"And think of every failure as an opportunity for learning," continued Piandao.

_Yes, I know that. Why do you think I'm here? _

But he was right. Zuko placed the brush onto the table next to the scroll with his new name signed on it. "Yes, Master Piandao."

"Fat is finishing preparing breakfast. You may take your parchment and place it above your door, if you like as a reminder, then come back down."

"I think I'll pass-"

"That is an order."

"...Yes, Master."

Zuko grudgingly took the parchment and rolled it back up. Master Piandao was going to make him remember every failure he ever made. Just like Azula.


End file.
